December '08

Love. It's a beautiful thing, isn't it? One moment, Dean and I are sharing our first time, wrapped up in the bliss of having each other to hold at night. The next, he's telling me he thought we'd be together—until he met his match.

His exact words were: "Why focus on building a future when I'm just gonna die sooner rather than later?"

Shocking, right? Definitely not what I expected.

It sounds like a far cry from the guy who chased me relentlessly, the guy who said he didn't care that my mother knew him and his parents before we even thought about getting into bed together.

I still cringe when I think about that moment.

At first, I thought he was joking. I was waiting for the punchline, a twist that would let me breathe again. But... he didn't take it back. He meant it.

Do I believe him? No. Did it still hurt to hear? Yeah. A lot.

Hopes and dreams are easy when you're just thinking about them, floating in the future somewhere. But then, when it's time to step up and make them real, that's when it gets scary as hell. Especially for people like us. I think Dean's terrified of holding on to a future that might never come true.

I know he is.

And instead of admitting that, he lied.

In other news, Sam's back to running around with Ruby, not surprisingly. I can smell the demon on him. That foul, unmistakable stench of dark energy clinging to him.

Anyway, we're in Fairfax, Indiana now. Some girl drowned her classmate in the toilet. Sam's inside the mental hospital, playing nurse and asking questions.

If this turns into a case... I have a feeling we're in for one hell of a treat.

"Ahem!" Dean cleared his throat loudly from the driver's seat, but Nadia didn't even glance up from her journal.

He sat still for a moment, staring out the window as though he hadn't just tried to get her attention.

With a deep sigh, Nadia rolled her eyes, her pen still gliding across the paper.

"How uh, how's the writing goin'?" Dean asked again, his voice casual, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Fine," Nadia replied without looking up, her focus unwavering.

"Cool, cool. What you writin' about?"

"You."

"Good things, I hope."

Nadia finally tilted her head to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Dean winced slightly, his hands gripping the wheel. "Okay, so you're mad."

"I'm not mad," she muttered, her eyes narrowing at him before returning to her writing.

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not. A little peeved maybe, but not mad. If I was mad, you'd know."

Dean snorted, shaking his head. "You asked a question, and I answered it."

"Yeah, horribly," Nadia shot back, closing her journal with a soft thud. "You don't sleep with somebody and then tell them you're just gonna be with them until you die, which might be soon. Then again, maybe I should've asked before sleeping with you. Yeah, you know what? I'll take fault for this one."

Dean's mouth opened, ready to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He started to turn around, but before he could, Nadia cut him off.

"Sam's back," she said flatly, setting the journal aside with finality.

Reluctantly, Dean sighed and turned back around as Sam slid into the passenger seat.

"So?" Nadia leaned forward, her gaze sharp as she watched Sam settle in.

"I think she's telling the truth," Sam said, voice low and serious. "I mean, the way she talked about being there mentally but not physically... kind of sounds like demonic possession to me."

"Kind of?" Dean raised his eyebrows, skeptical.

"She didn't see any black smoke or smell sulfur," Sam continued, his brow furrowed in thought.

Dean snorted. "Maybe it's not a demon, then. Kids can be vicious," he muttered, clearly not convinced.

"Yeah, but drown someone in the toilet, vicious?" Nadia shook her head, her voice thick with disbelief. "That's downright sinister."

"Yeah, well..." Sam shrugged, glancing between the two. "I mean, we're already here. Might as well check out the school."

Dean's expression shifted, a faraway look in his eyes as he stared at the road ahead. "Right. The school."

Nadia looked at him, puzzled by the sudden shift in his demeanor. "What?"

Sam shot a quick glance at Nadia, but before he could say anything, Dean spoke up, his voice tinged with something... nostalgic. "Truman High. Home of the Bombers."

Nadia stared at him for a moment, confused. "What's your point?"

Dean's smirk grew as he leaned back in his seat, remembering. "I don't know. I mean, we went there... for like a month a million years ago. Why are you so jazzed to go back?"

"I'm not," Sam said quickly, shaking his head. "I just think it's worth looking into."

"Okay," Dean starts up the car.

Nadia sits back, briefly locking eyes with him before looking away.

"And here is your office." Truman's principal, Mrs. Reed, ushered Nadia inside, her heels clicking on the polished floor.

The office was small and neat, decorated with motivational posters about knowledge, education, and coping mechanisms. A few potted plants sat by the window, casting long shadows as the late afternoon sun filtered through. Despite the cheery decor, the space felt suffocating in its emptiness—an office designed for a normal world, not one rocked by tragedy.

"I wish you were here under better terms," Mrs. Reed added, her voice tinged with sympathy.

Nadia nodded, trying not to let the weight of the situation settle too deeply in her chest. "Me too." She set her computer bag down on the desk, a little too forcefully, as if to make the weight of her new role feel real. "I'm sure this hasn't been easy for the kids or the staff."

Mrs. Reed sighed, rubbing her temples as though the words themselves were heavy. "You don't know the half of it. Ms. Boyer wasn't the first to leave. So many teachers have abandoned ship just when the kids need them the most. They're afraid that if they say something wrong, or give a poor grade, the kids will..." She trailed off, her voice faltering.

"I don't think it'll come to that," Nadia said, hoping to calm the principal's nerves. She leaned back in the chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "I think this was just an unfortunate case of a student who got tired of being bullied. It had to come to a head, but... I'd like to believe the students will learn from this."

Mrs. Reed gave a resigned nod, her eyes cast downward. "Yes, hopefully." She hesitated, clearly burdened by more than she could say, before adding, "Well, welcome aboard, Ms. Dunn. If you have any questions, you know where my office is."

Nadia gave a polite smile as she nodded. "Yes, thank you."

The moment the door clicked shut behind Mrs. Reed, a knock immediately followed.

Nadia straightened in her chair, clearing her throat as she sat up a little straighter. "Come in."

The door swung open, revealing a teenage girl who immediately froze in disappointment. "Hey, Ms..." she started, but her voice faltered as her eyes scanned the room. "You're not Ms. Boyer."

Nadia stood from her chair, her posture calm but her gaze firm. "No, I'm not." She gestured to the chair across from the desk, inviting the girl in. "Due to recent events, Ms. Boyer... quit."

The girl rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a scoff. "Of course she did. Well, bye." She made a move to leave, but Nadia wasn't having it.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey. Don't leave. You obviously came here for something." Nadia's voice held a gentle but firm tone. "You need to talk? I love to talk."

The girl faked a smile, then scoffed again. "Gotta go."

"Well, aren't you sassy?" Nadia's remark caught the girl off guard, and she stopped mid-turn. "Sit," Nadia said, a firm but playful command as she pointed to the chair.

The girl sighed heavily but closed the door, slowly sitting down in the chair with a huff. Nadia crossed her arms and leaned on the desk, trying to ease the tension.

"What's your name, kid?" Nadia asked casually, trying to break the ice.

"Madison."

"That's pretty. Know what it means?" Nadia asked, her voice light with interest.

"No," Madison replied, her tone almost dismissive. "Does it matter what it means?"

"Of course it does," Nadia said with a warm smile. "My name's Nadia. It means hope. Ironically, sometimes I'm so hopeful I wanna make myself throw up."

Madison giggled, clearly caught off guard. "You're funny."

"Well, thank you," Nadia responded, chuckling a little herself before returning to her seat.

Madison was striking—tall with rich brown skin, hazel eyes that flickered with intelligence, and thick, curly hair that framed her face perfectly. She wore a nose ring and ear piercings, her style effortlessly cool with a Coldplay T-shirt, an oversized flannel, baggy jeans, and Converse sneakers. She exuded a confidence that bordered on arrogance, but there was a sadness behind her eyes that Nadia could sense.

"What can I do for you, Madison? Feeling down after everything that's happened?" Nadia asked, genuinely concerned.

Madison cackled. "No, that was bound to happen. High school is hell, and these kids are demons. They think this is forever. That what they wear and who they date will matter after this. I'd pay to see their faces when they get a reality check."

Nadia couldn't help but laugh softly. "Wow. Not many kids understand that high school is just a pit stop."

"What can I say?" Madison shrugged nonchalantly, though there was a trace of bitterness in her tone. "I'm way too cool for this school."

Nadia smiled, "Oh, I can tell. What are you here for?"

Madison shifted uncomfortably, her eyes glancing away for a moment. "Ms. Boyer and I spent this period together every day. Guess I'll just go back to skipping since she ditched me like every adult eventually does."

"Dad?" Nadia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Madison's expression flickered with something harder to read. "...Mom," she said, her voice quiet. "She died a year ago. Car accident."

Nadia's heart tightened, but she didn't push. Instead, she just nodded, "And you think she ditched you?"

Madison shifted again, clearly struggling to put her feelings into words. "No, I just say that because... well, I'm angry that she's gone. Forever."

Nadia nodded, her expression softening with understanding. "Hm." She leaned on the desk, giving Madison space to speak if she wanted to continue.

Madison laughed nervously, "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. I don't even know you. Hell, it took Ms. Boyer a month before I opened up to her."

"Don't be embarrassed. I'm just an easy person to talk to." Nadia smiled gently. "Crazy thing is, I lost my mother too. I was younger than you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It changed me forever," Nadia said, her voice low.

"Do you ever get over it?" Madison asked, her voice quiet but searching.

"No, honey. No." Nadia's voice was steady. "You just... learn to live with it. Take it day by day. Some days you're angry, then sad, then angry again. It's a never-ending rollercoaster. But you can find peace. You just have to be open."

Madison was quiet for a moment, the weight of the conversation settling over them. Then she stood abruptly, shifting gears. "Yeah, well, enough about me." She paced, her steps quick and restless. "Got a boyfriend?"

Nadia raised an eyebrow. "Um, I don't think you can ask me that."

"So you do." Madison grinned, knowing she had the upper hand.

"Yes, I do." Nadia rolled her eyes playfully. "Do you?"

Madison rolled her eyes, exhaling sharply. "God, no. Boys are idiots, especially the ones at this school. Tell me about your boyfriend. What's he like?"

Nadia smirked. "Stupid."

The remark made Madison laugh. "Yeah, they don't really age out of that."

"Seriously?"

"No, I'm kidding... sort of."

"Okay, so tell me about him."

Nadia leaned back in her chair, a small smile playing on her lips. "Well, he's handsome and sweet. Eats like a toddler, very corny, but he's the type of guy to take a bullet for me."

Madison snorted. "Wow. He sounds cool. Marry the guy already."

Nadia smiled softly but shook her head. "Oh, honey, life's not that simple."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period, and Madison picked up her book bag.

"Well, this was fun," Madison said, turning to head out the door. "We should do this again."

"Yeah, sure," Nadia replied, standing up and following her to the door. "Oh, homework assignment."

"Homework?" Madison raised an eyebrow.

"Not really. Look up what your name means. You might be surprised."

Madison shrugged. "Okay. I will."

"Good." Nadia nodded, walking with her down the hallway. As they passed a row of lockers, Nadia spotted Sam coming toward them, dressed in his janitor uniform and pushing a cart full of cleaning supplies.

"See you," Madison saluted, stopping at a locker.

"Hey," Nadia called to Sam, walking over to join him. "Anything?"

"Nope. You?"

"No, let's go to the gym. Check on Dean. So, what's it like being back here?" She asked as they walked together. "Nostalgic?"

Sam gave a small shrug. "I guess you could call it that. I didn't have the best experience."

"No?" Nadia tilted her head, genuinely curious.

"No. I was a nobody, treated as such. There was this bully, Dirk."

Nadia raised an eyebrow. "Dirk?" She couldn't help but laugh. "With a name like that, I kinda get it."

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, well, he was horrible, especially to my friend Barry. I stood up for him, and Dirk put a target on my back. We got into it in front of everyone. He hit me, but Mr. Wyatt broke it up before anything else could happen."

"I know Dean was pissed."

"Oh, yeah. I almost couldn't convince him not to do anything."

"I'm sure you could've taken him." Nadia nudged Sam with her elbow.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to make a spectacle out of it. I just wanted to blend in, you know? Be normal."

"I sense a 'but.'"

"You sensed right." Sam smiled slightly. "But he made a scene a week later. Called me a freak, and I freaked. Guy was twice my size, but I kicked his ass. Had everyone calling him Dirk the Jerk."

"Wow. Guess you showed him after all." Nadia chuckled.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't consider it my finest moment. Even if he did deserve it."

"I understand." Nadia nodded, a touch of empathy in her voice. "So, that's it? No good memories here?"

Sam shrugged. "There was Mr. Wyatt. He actually cared. Saw potential in me, unlike my dad, who was all in on us becoming hunters. Mr. Wyatt's the reason I even went to college."

"That's nice," Nadia smiled. "Now that you mention it, I think I've seen his classroom. You should stop by."

"Yeah, I think I will."

As they neared the gym, they could hear the sound of laughter echoing from inside. Dean had probably found his new favorite hobby—playing substitute P.E. teacher.

"A game of skill, agility, cunning."

Dean rears back his arm, throwing the bowl into a student's stomach, having expected him to well, dodge.

"Uh, Substitute Coach Roth?" A kid named Colby raised his hand hesitantly, clearly unsure whether he was breaking some sort of gym protocol.

Dean, standing with his hands on his hips and a whistle dangling from his neck, looked over. "Yes?"

Colby shuffled nervously, adjusting his oversized gym shorts. "Ms. Boudreaux never let us play dodgeball."

Dean grinned, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Well, Ms. B's in Massachusetts getting married, so we're playing today." He looked down at the kids, some of them already eyeing the dodgeballs, eager for the game to start.

Colby hesitated, glancing nervously at his friends. "But she says it's dangerous."

Dean blew his whistle sharply, the shrill sound making Colby flinch. "Take a lap!"

Colby blinked in confusion, opening his mouth to protest, but Dean blew the whistle again, louder this time. "Now!"

With a nervous gulp, Colby turned and jogged off, muttering under his breath.

Dean chuckled to himself, stepping toward the center of the gym where the dodgeballs were stacked.

As he did, he spotted Nadia and Sam entering the gym. 

"Oh, god," muttered Sam at his brother's shorts.

"I kind of like it," Nadia tilted her head, admiring the Winchester as he walked over.

Sam frowns at her; not that she noticed.

"Having fun?"

"Right," smirked Sam, his eyes narrowing as he watched his brother strike an exaggerated pose, clearly enjoying the attention. He focused specifically on Dean's knee-high athletic shorts, shaking his head slightly.

"Nice shorts," Nadia said, her voice carrying a playful tone, cutting through the brief silence. Her words were a touch less subtle than Sam's, but it was clear her intention was the same—teasing Dean, though hers came with a bit of a grin.

Dean immediately struck a pose, standing with one hand on his hip and the other adjusting his whistle like a fashion accessory. "Oh, you like?"

Nadia gave a quick, half-formed nod. "A little bit, yeah." Her lips curled into a grin, her eyes glinting with amusement as she took in the full picture of her boyfriend's ridiculous appearance.

Dean's grin widened, clearly pleased with the compliment. He turned slightly as if to give her a better view, but Nadia quickly looked away, the blush creeping up on her neck and cheeks. She cleared her throat, trying to compose herself, but her smile was still there, betraying her otherwise cool demeanor.

Sam, feeling the tension shift from playful to a bit awkward, cleared his throat loudly.

"I've been over the entire school twice. No sulfur."

"No sulfur, no demon. No demon, no case," Dean shrugs.

"Seems like," Nadia agrees. "I talked to a student today. Said the kids here are jerks and it was bound to happen."

"I don't know. Maybe I was wrong," admitted Sam.

Sam and Nadia cringed, witnessing Colby get hit in the face with a dodgeball. Clutching his bloody nose, he ran past the three out of the gym.

Nadia and Sam look at Dean, disapproving.